STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — I often find myself shocked at the large sums of money paid at auction for unusual antiques, especially, items relating to American memorabilia. Certainly, many of the sellers are surprised to learn the pieces they’ve inherited, admired and cared for over the years, can command such high prices.

Much rests in finding the appropriate venue. There are auctioneers across the globe who specialize in various fields of the decorative arts, so, it is important to consign your pieces to those who will best serve your interests.

It’s also important to know what you have. For instance, those old cigar tins in which Grandpa stored buttons and nails should be carefully examined before being placed at the curb. You might one day regret discarding them.

In the past few months I’ve followed some of the most exciting auctions specializing in Americana, where prices went through the roof. Collectors sometimes are willing to empty their bank accounts to purchase something they might have been waiting to come to auction for many years. This leads you to wonder whether the item actually was worth what they paid for it.

All collectors – myself included – have certain boundaries regarding how much they’re willing to shell out. However, if you love something enough and can afford to bid it up, why not go for it? It takes two who want something badly enough to push the price over its pre-sale estimate.

Auctions take place in all parts of the world, in most cases, once or twice a month. Those unable to attend out-of-the-country auctions, still can participate by subscribing to these auctions and obtaining catalogs of the upcoming sales. Subscribers may bid by phone if they’re keen on purchasing something illustrated in the catalog.

HEADLINE-GRABBERS

This past year has seen some headline-grabbing sales at a number of galleries.

This past December a rare and interesting Tiffany peony border lamp made in the early part of the 20th century reached a high price of $172,500 during a Lamp and Glass Auction conducted by James D. Julia auctioneers in Fairfield, Maine.

Baseball-lovers were stunned at a Sotheby’s sale, when a two-page document from 1898 relating to a set of rules for the new game of baseball, which was created by James Naismith, fetched an astounding $4.4 million.

Another baseball collectible made news when the Morphy Auction Gallery in Denver, Pennsylvania, auctioned off a Home Run Cigars tin depicting a colorful baseball motif of baseball players in action on the diamond. From the David and Marcia Hirsh Collection, the tin sold for $18,400 in November, way over its $8,000-$12,000 pre-sale estimate. This particular piece was in mint condition and only a few are known to exist.

Basketball has its fans, too, and a 1973-1974 Milwaukee Bucks warm-up jacket worn by basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sold for $96,631, at an auction held at Grey Flannel Auctions in Westhampton, New York. Many basketball fans recall the days when Jabbar played center position fot hte Bucks, who went on to become world champions, and Jabbar emerged as leading scorer. Jabbar, born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr., retired early in his career, leaving the basketball court in 1989.

SHIPS AHOY

There’s a whole contingent of people who collect model boats from various periods, but the most sought-after collectibles in this category is the American steamboat type. The Bertoia Auction Gallery in Vineland, New Jersey, held a sale in November that included quite a few tin and wooden toy powered boats. One rare and desirable toy steamboat stood out from the rest: A 1909 Marklin Priscilla toy steamboat, a mere 19 inches long, sold for $63,250. There must have been a great deal of steam pouring out of the auction room from disappointed buyers after the selling of that lot.

Serious rifle and gun collectors were interested to learn that a presentation “Colt” buntline special Army revolver that was consigned from the J.A. Hegeman and Stagecoach Museum Collection sold for $368,000 when it went under the hammer at Rock Island Auctioneers in Illinois. The rare Colt with a barrel measuring 16 inches long, was made circa 1876-1884. Those of a certain age might recall this particular long-barreled Colt was popularized in the TV series, “The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp.”

On the more exotic side, Chinese art seems to be making news, with 19th-century art and antiques fetching good prices. This is a field that requires a collector to have a good deal of knowledge, because numerous fakes have flooded the market in the past 40 or so years.

A 19th-century Chinese Scholars’ hanging panel exhibiting fine, intricate carved jade together with ivory, lapis and coral, was not about to get away from an English dealer who was bidding on behalf of a Chinese collector at a recent sale. The dealer succeeded in getting the panel for $345,000, a bargain at that price.

The handful of pieces I’ve mentioned here will attest to the fact that there are pieces out there yet to be discovered and worth a great deal of research. I still am amazed to see pieces that I would have passed up bring such large sums of money. Which only goes to show me I still have a lot to learn.